Stephen Hawking books in order
British theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author
- Lived
- 1942–2018
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 30
Stephen Hawking published 11 novels, 8 non-fiction books, 3 children's books and 8 other books, beginning with A Brief History of Time (1988).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Stephen Hawking
Start here
A Brief History of Time
Stephen Hawking's most-read book, rated by 237 Open Library readers.
Highest rated
Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Rated 4.3 out of 5 by 28 readers.
Shortest way in
A Briefer History of Time
One of the most-read, at about 176 pages.
Standalone novels in order
The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time (1973)
A Brief History of Time (1988)
The Nature of Space and Time (1996), with Roger Penrose
The Universe in a Nutshell (Oct 2001)
On the Shoulders of Giants (2002)
A Briefer History of Time (2005), with Leonard Mlodinow
The Grand Design (Sep 2010), with Leonard Mlodinow
George and the Big Bang (2011), with Lucy Hawking
George and the Blue Moon (Mar 2016), with Lucy Hawking
George and the Ship of Time (2018)
Brief Answers to the Big Questions (Oct 2018)
Non-fiction in order
Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays (1993)
The Theory of Everything (2002)
Illustrated on the Shoulders of Giants (2004)
God Created the Integers (2005)
A Stubbornly Persistent Illusion (2007)
Essential Einstein (2008)
The Dreams That Stuff Is Made Of: The Most Astounding Papers of Quantum Physics and How They Shook the Scientific World (2011)
My Brief History (2013)
Children's books in order
George's Secret Key to the Universe (2007), with Lucy Hawking
George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt (May 2009), with Lucy Hawking
George and the Unbreakable Code (2014)
Other books in order
General Relativity; an Einstein Centenary Survey (1979)
Black Holes (1993)
Black Holes and Time Warps (1995)
Computer Resources for People With Disabilities (1996)
Universe (1997)
Stephen Hawking (2001)
The Future of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology (2003)
Unlocking the Universe (2020)
Film and TV adaptations
- A Brief History of Time (1991)Film · from A Brief History of Time
- The Theory of Everything (2014)Film · from The Theory of Everything
About Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking was an English theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Between 1979 and 2009, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, widely viewed as one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Stephen Hawking FAQ
- How many books has Stephen Hawking written?
- Stephen Hawking published 11 novels, 8 non-fiction books, 3 children's books and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Stephen Hawking's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with A Brief History of Time.
- What is Stephen Hawking's last book?
- Brief Answers to the Big Questions (2018).
- What is Stephen Hawking's most famous book?
- A Brief History of Time (1988) is Stephen Hawking's most widely read book.
- Which Stephen Hawking books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including A Brief History of Time (film, 1991) and The Theory of Everything (film, 2014).
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.